Molding devices for making toys have been popular with children for generations. They can be used to melt and mold waxes, resins, thermoplastics or certain metal alloys to make interesting objects. However, the melting and molding process typically requires a heat source and relatively high temperatures. Although nothing can be completely safe, previous molding toys have not been as simple or as safe as today's parents desire.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,063,109, issued to Rapaport, describes a toy casting machine for melting metal which includes an electrically heated melting chamber. The Rapaport patent reports that the toy casting machine is safe because the melting chamber is covered during operation. However, the path of molten material from a discharge spout to the mold is freely accessible to any child who operates the toy casting machine. If the mold were to overflow, or the molten material were to leak from the mold for any reason, a child operator might impulsively intervene by, for example, placing his or her fingers in the path of the molten material. Also, it is possible that some children will attempt to add additional solid material to the melting chamber during operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,548, issued to Saffer et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,115, issued to Lebensfeld et al., describe toy casting machines for melting plastic that include melting chambers rotatably mounted so that they can be tipped to pour molten material into a mold. In both of these patents, the melting chamber and molding area are surrounded by a protective housing. However, rotatably mounted melting chambers are inherently prone to accidental rotation and discharge and are, therefore, undesirable in a toy for children.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,009, issued to Gillespie, includes an apparatus for reclaiming broken and worn crayons comprising a radiant and convective heat supply in the form of an electric light bulb. A housing, which has a heat reflective surface, surrounds the light bulb and forms chutes for receiving broken and worn crayons. Molds are arranged beneath the chutes. When the crayons have melted, crayon material flows from the chutes to the molds under the influence of gravity. However, the light bulb that supplies radiant and convective heat appears to be freely accessible to a child who uses the apparatus.
A need exists for a safe and simple molding device for use by children. Desirably, the toy molding machine would protect children from the hot molten material and include safety shutdowns to interrupt electrical power if a potentially hazardous situation arises. More desirably, the toy molding machine would have stationary melting chambers and molds that cannot be tipped over during use.